Review: Star Wars: Rebel Heist #3

Three down, one to go. The caper begins to take shape in the penultimate issue of Star Wars: Rebel Heist as another familiar Rebel hero gets down and dirty in the galactic trenches.

Directly following the action of issue #2, this month’s installment features the unnamed Stormtrooper who was extracted from Feddasyr by Princess Leia and Sarin as he meets up with an uncharacteristically independent Chewbacca. The consummate co-pilot is tasked with protecting the asset, key to the success of the titular heist, as they cut a swath of violence across an unspecified, backwater planet. From bars to sewers to highly fortified Imperial facilities, the pair faces off against some of the galaxy’s ugliest enforcers with the express purpose of using the trooper’s DNA key to transmit the latest in a long line of Imperial codes to the Rebel Alliance. Much like their predecessors, Chewie and the Trooper (potential buddy cop series?) find themselves captured, but they get the added bonus of staring down one of the Star Wars universe’s nastiest creatures. With Han, Leia, and now Chewbacca all locked away on different worlds, I think it’s safe to assume who will be coming for them in the final issue next month.

Scribe Matt Kindt has managed to tell three different and exciting tales thus far while still keeping the true nature of the story hidden. In doing so, he has played to the strengths of the main characters, letting each issue’s story play out accordingly. Han Solo talks his way through with his trademark snark, Princess Leia uses her grace and well-hidden skills, and Chewbacca fights and intimidates, choosing to speak with his fists and his bowcaster rather than with his “words.” Since the Wookiee warrior is restricted when it comes to his expressiveness, Kindt chooses to tell the majority of issue #3 through the eyes and words of the Trooper, which turns into the character’s own journey of discovery about who this Rebel soldier really is.

With an action heavy issue such as this one, artists Marco Castiello and Dan Parsons were sure to maintain a high standard, kicking off the issue with the Trooper’s crash landing and Chewbacca’s dramatic two-page entrance as he dispatches a squad of reptilian aliens. Everything that followed could have easily been done without any dialogue or narration, which, as mentioned earlier, was primarily from one character anyway. A messy brawl with Gamorreans gave way to a frantic encounter with a dianoga, which led to a spectacular firefight as the pair of Rebels completed their mission. It all ends with a splash page that will definitely make the reader ask, “How the hell are they getting out of this one?”

Four issues isn’t much to work with, but Matt Kindt keeps it well-paced and engaging, leaving the reader guessing about what will come next. With no filler to worry about, each independent tale flows into the next, whether there is a direct connection or not. Blasters, feminine wiles, and furry fists have done their jobs, so let’s see what a lightsaber accomplishes next month.

Star Wars: Rebel Heist #3 is available today from Dark Horse Comics!

Written by: Rob "T3K" Piontek

Rob is excited to be contributing to The Fridge. With one finger on the pulse of Marvel/DC and another on that of Hollywood's superhero franchises, no multi-issue arc or casting rumor is too small to report. When Rob opens The Fridge, the light inside shines green!